


Dropping No Eaves

by TooGoodToBeBad



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ashe and Ingrid are nerds, Eavesdropping, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sylvain Jose Gautier Being An Idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:42:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29677194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooGoodToBeBad/pseuds/TooGoodToBeBad
Summary: If Sylvain looked like he’d seen a ghost earlier, now he looked like he’d turned into one. “Okay, I’m definitely in danger, Ashe. You have to hide me.”“Why?” Ashe whispered.“Because I’m going to get my ass kicked all over the school if you don’t! Ingrid probably followed me like some sort of bloodhound, and now she’s here to chew me out, and I really don’t need that right now. Now help me hide!”Sylvain and Ashe (but mostly just Sylvain, really) learn about the consequences of eavesdropping.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	Dropping No Eaves

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the Sylvgrid Discord server for helping me figure out where in the dorm Sylvain could hide like a dumbass.

The knocking at the door, frantic and urgent, sent Ashe jumping out of his chair. It didn't seem to be going away, leaving Ashe with no choice but to see who was on the other side of the door. With a deep sigh, he closed the book in his hand and laid it on his desk.

“Coming!” he called out. As he began to walk towards the door, he began to wonder just who it was to come to his room in such a hurry. He wasn’t expecting company, and their next deployment wasn’t until next week. Whatever this was, it was probably urgent, judging by the sound of the knocking.

To say he was surprised when he opened the door was underselling it a bit.

“Sylvain?” Ashe said when he opened the door, the confusion evident in his voice. The lanky redhead _never_ knocked on his door.

“Ashe,” Sylvain replied with a nod. “Are you busy today?”

Ashe shrugged. “Not particularly. I was just—”

“That’s great!” Sylvain cut him off and strode into the room before shutting the door behind him. “Listen, bud, I need a favor.”

“Sure, I guess.”

“I need you to let me hang out in your room for the rest of the day.”

Ashe could feel his jaw go slack in shock. Sylvain gave him a bright and dazzling smile partnered with what Ashe could only assume were puppy-dog eyes.

“The rest of the day?” Ashe finally managed to ask. “Sylvain, it’s only early afternoon!”

“I know, I know.” Sylvain waved him off and plopped down on the bed. “But I… well, mistakes were made. I’ll spare you the details, but there may or may not be people looking for me right now.”

With a deep sigh, Ashe dragged his hand down his face. “Why _my_ room?”

The satisfied smirk that crossed Sylvain’s face seemed to indicate that he knew this question was coming. “First, I knew you wouldn’t lecture me. Second, no one will think to look for me here.”

“You do have a point,” Ashe muttered. “Fine, but only until dinner.”

“Thanks, Ashe!” Sylvain got up and tousled Ashe’s hair with his knuckles. “I owe you big time for this.”

Before Ashe could say anything else, Sylvain walked towards the desk and picked up the book that lay on it.

“ _Honor of a Thousand Sons_?” Sylvain read the title aloud. “Sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. I've certainly heard the title before. Is it any good?”

“Pretty good,” Ashe replied. “A lot of the discussions on philosophy go over my head, but the plot’s interesting, and the main character is a great knight in his own right.”

“I see.” Sylvain nodded and placed the book back on the desk. “Sounds like a fun read.”

Ashe opened his mouth to say something when another knock at the door cut him off. From where he stood, he could see the color drain from Sylvain’s face like he’d just seen a ghost.

“Were… were you expecting anyone else?” Sylvain asked hesitantly.

Ashe shook his head vehemently. “No. I thought my afternoon was going to be uneventful.”

Sylvain swore under his breath and began to pace around the room. “Maybe they’ll just go away. I mean, they couldn’t have found me, right?”

“Are you in danger, Sylvain?” Ashe asked, the weight of some sort of specter now palpable and pressing on his shoulders.

There was another pair of knocks on the door, sharp and quick. 

And then Ingrid’s voice. “Ashe?”

If Sylvain looked like he’d seen a ghost earlier, now he looked like he’d turned into one. “Okay, I’m definitely in danger, Ashe. You have to hide me.”

“Why?” Ashe whispered.

“Because I’m going to get my ass kicked all over the school if you don’t! Ingrid probably followed me like some sort of bloodhound, and now she’s here to chew me out, and I _really_ don’t need that right now. Now help me hide!”

“I thought you of all people would know the best hiding places in the dorms.”

“Okay, that’s rude. It’s _always_ in _my_ room, so _I_ don’t have to hide. And—” 

“Ashe? Are you in there?” Ingrid called out from the other side.

“Yep! Just give me a moment!” he replied while trying to keep his voice even.

Turning to Sylvain, he gestured to the large wooden chest in the room and whispered, “The chest! Get in!”

Sylvain’s large frame belied his quiet agility, and within seconds he was clambering into the chest like it was a perfectly natural thing to do. 

“Cover for me,” Sylvain whispered. “If she asks, I’m not here.”

“I can’t lie to Ingrid!” Ashe protested.

“Please? I’ll make it up to you, big time.”

Ashe grumbled some form of assent under his breath and shut the lid on Sylvain before racing to the door.

“Ingrid!” he squeaked, perhaps a bit too excitedly to be natural. Truth be told, the squeak was equal parts panic and sudden realization that Ingrid standing in the doorway, with her hair looking like sunshine and her eyes greener than springtime, was _very cute_.

He’d always known she was cute, but it seemed every day she managed to take his breath away in some form, and today was no exception.

“Hi Ashe!” She grinned widely at him, and then raised a perplexed eyebrow. “Are you alright? You seem a little pale. More so than usual, I mean.”

He gingerly raised a hand to his cheek. “I’m alright, Ingrid! It’s nothing, really.”

“Are you sure?” she asked and placed a hand on her hip. “You weren’t doing anything _weird_ , were you? I’ve seen you hanging out with Sylvain, and I worry about what he might be teaching you sometimes.”

From behind him, Ashe could hear Sylvain shifting restlessly within the confines of the chest.

“Nope, nothing weird at all. Not in here,” Ashe replied and tried to smile at her. It was surprisingly easy. After all, it was very difficult for him to look at her and _not_ smile.

“Okay, then.” Ingrid nodded, apparently convinced.

“So, uh, what brings you here, Ingrid?”

Ingrid’s eyes lit up with unabashed glee as she eagerly reached into her bag and fished out a book. 

“Here you go,” she said excitedly as she handed the book to him, and was Ashe imagining things, or was Ingrid blushing?

“ _The Call of the Lion_ was such a good read. And that final chapter had me tearing up!” she continued, seemingly unaware of the stutter in Ashe’s chest. “I just couldn’t put it down when I read it.”

Ashe took the book from her, and he let his finger brush lightly against hers, pleasant warmth blooming underneath his skin at the point of contact. “I’m glad you liked it so much! Although I wasn’t expecting you to finish it so quickly.”

There was almost definitely a faint pink dusting her cheeks, and the tiny, sheepish smile she gave him was oh so soft and gentle, contrasting perfectly with her rugged ambition and spirit.

“I’m sorry,” she giggled lightly. “It was _that_ good. You remind me of the main character in a few ways, actually.”

“I-I do?” Ashe said dumbly.

Ingrid nodded excitedly. “You do. Winston was always trying to do the right thing, and he always saw the good in everyone, just like you do!”

Ashe could feel something burning at the tips of his ears and prayed it wasn’t visible. “Oh, thank you, Ingrid. You’re too kind to me.”

The shifting in the chest at the foot of his bed seemed to grow more restless. Ashe shifted his stance ever so slightly, hiding the chest behind him.

“You know,” he said as he let his fingertips graze the cover of the book, “there’s a character here who reminds me of you, actually.”

“Oh?” Ingrid’s jaw dropped slightly, and the pink on her face only seemed to grow more vibrant. “Who, if I may ask?”

“Um, Cassian,” Ashe mumbled and scratched at a phantom itch at the back of his neck.

“Cassian? The Lionheart?” Ingrid asked, visibly taken aback. “Are you sure, Ashe? Cassian the Lionheart was a great legend, Ashe, and it seems—” 

“But he does, Ingrid! He was so noble, virtuous, and didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. He never gave up, and he fought for all his dreams.” Ashe smiled shyly. “Just like you do.”

“If anyone’s being too kind here, I think it’s you.” Ingrid smiled back.

He could feel the smile on his face widen and his chest warm at her words until something that sounded suspiciously like giggling wiped the smile from his face. Ingrid’s lips turned down in a slight frown and she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Are you alright, Ashe?”

His pulse began to quicken, out of sync and out of tempo with the rest of him. 

“Huh? Yep, alright!” He forced a grin. “It’s just… I felt bad! Because I haven’t finished the book you lent me yet. _Honor of a Thousand Sons_ is such a good read, and I really like the story, but I just haven’t finished it yet.”

“Oh?” Ingrid let out a short laugh. “You don’t need to worry about that! I probably read _The Call of the Lion_ too quickly for my own good. It’s fine, Ashe, really. I’m just so happy that we get to talk like this. No one else here shares my love for literature like you do.”

“I’m glad of it as well. Your enthusiasm is infectious, Ingrid.”

“As is yours, Ashe.”

The giggling behind him only seemed to be getting louder, and it was a wonder Ingrid, as perceptive as she was amazing, hadn’t picked up on it yet.

“I actually wanted to ask you something, Ashe,” Ingrid said softly and shifted restlessly where she stood.

“Of course, anything.”

Ingrid took a deep breath before letting all her words stumble out in a jumbled mess. “ _Wouldyouliketogototeawithme_?”

Ashe briefly wondered if there was a way for him to pinch himself without her noticing, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming and that _Ingrid_ was asking him to tea. “Tea?”

She nodded excitedly and tucked a loose lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “Yep. Today, ideally. If you’re not busy, that is.”

“I’d love to,” Ashe said with a giddy smile. “That sounds like a great time, Ingrid.”

The sounds of muffled laughter behind him was enough to leave his heart, which was soaring in his chest, teetering over an edge. Apparently Sylvain had not an ounce of self-preservation in his body. Ashe really wanted to kick the chest and shut Sylvain up, if only so he wouldn’t be so distracted while talking to Ingrid.

“I have mint tea!” Ingrid exclaimed suddenly and reached into her bag to prove that she did indeed have mint tea. “You like mint tea, right?”

Ashe nodded. “I do.”

Another soft chuckle behind him. 

“So do I!” Ingrid beamed. “It’s so crazy that we both like the same type of tea! What are the odds of that?”

“Oh come on, Ingrid, you know I’m no good…” Ashe’s voice trailed off when he heard a loud _thump_ behind him and the now unmistakably loud sound of Sylvain laughing. “... at math.”

Ingrid’s smile quickly turned into a deep scowl. “Excuse me, Ashe.”

Without warning, she strode into his room, and with no small amount of force, kicked the chest. From inside, Sylvain let out a very unfortunate sounding yelp.

And when she opened the chest, Sylvain was quick to pop out like some sort of magic trick.

“Whoa, guys!” Sylvain said with all his usual charm. “Not funny. Who put me in that chest?”

All Sylvain got for his troubles was a punch to the face that nearly sent him crashing back into the chest.

“Ingrid! What was that for? You don’t even know what I did!”

“I know enough; we are _so_ talking later.”

She grabbed him by his collar and threw him out of the room, and Ashe watched with barely restrained amusement (mixed with a healthy dose of fear) as Sylvain stumbled and tripped headlong into some shrubbery.

“So,” she said and turned back to Ashe with a pretty smile and a playful twinkle in her eyes. “Tea?”

Goddess help him, he had it bad for her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback and comments are appreciated!
> 
> I hope you guys liked this!


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